Re: Here's a really big part of the whole Holistic approach to recovery-

[ipsofacto]

ashockly, I hope this makes sense. I am really just starting to see how much of an impact this is having for me, and I have to say, I can’t claim to fully understand it yet.

But, as I understand it (and please correct me if there is a better way to explain this, anyone?) Mindfulness is at the heart of meditation. It’s what we do with our brain while meditating, which is we learn to be conscious of and maintain our focus; we learn to be observant of detail and also of the entirety of the present moment. We learned to observe our thoughts, feelings and emotions, and most importantly learn to make a conscious decision on our reaction (in thought and deed) in the same way we would observe our breath and decide whether to take control of it or not. Mindfulness practice extends the application of the things learned through meditation to every aspect of life. Just as in meditation we have to consciously practice observing, feeling and controlling our breath, in day to day mindfulness we can consciously practice observing our feelings and consciously deciding whether to act on them. With the exaggerated emotional reaction that is common with ADD, learning to be mindful of what we are feeling is a game changer (at least for me).

Could this learning to be aware of the present moment and to be conscious of our presence in that moment be learned in other ways? I’m sure it can to some extent by many activities that require open monitoring and conscious shifting of focus and reaction in a fluid environment. The great thing about meditation though is that you can carry the anchor of your breath to hold you steady while you practice being mindful.

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